Yahoo News Lancashire health & safety specialist RJ Urmson Group joins acquisitive Midlands business HSL Compliance
A Lancashire health and safety specialist has been acquired by HSL Compliance - marking that company’s third acquisition in 12 months.
Midlands-based HSL Compliance says the deal will allow it to provide air ventilation safety and compliance services for the first time, adding to its existing water safety offering.
RJ Urmson Group was founded in 1992 by Robert and Louise Urmson. It is based in Chorley and offers services including fire and ventilation testing and water treatment services.
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Following this deal, Robert, alongside his daughter Christina Urmson, will continue to lead the RJ Urmson Group as managing director and the company will retain its existing branding.
Mr Urmson said: “We’re a family-run business that has worked with many of our clients for more than 30 years, so its brilliant to start this next chapter of growth as a part of HSL Compliance, a business that shares our ambition and values. Our combined capabilities will allow us to deepen our offering and provide new opportunities to our committed staff.”
Herefordshire-HSL Compliance acquired Northern Ireland-based water safety company Chemical Treatment Services in August 2023 and took over remote monitoring business Plexus Innovation in January 2024. The latest deal takes the company’s headcount to more than 550.
Gavin Hartley, chief executive of HSL Compliance, added: “Rob and the team have built a market-leading operation with services that complement our own. Many of our existing clients, particularly in the healthcare sector, have air ventilation and fire safety compliance requirements. Being able to provide these services, in addition to our market-leading water safety offering, is a great step forward and will support our mission to be the number one health and safety compliance provider in the UK.
The deal team at HSL Compliance was led by Tom Taylor and Gavin Hartley with financial due diligence support from Ross Wiggins of Menzies (London), and legal support from Arpinder Dhillon of Harrison Clark Rickerby (Ross-on-Wye).
RJ Urmson Group was advised by Jon Else, Lewis Pearson and Ben Fallows of DTE Corporate Finance with legal support from Simon Wallwork and Mark Warburton of Slater Heelis (Manchester).
